(Photo: Joe Skibinski/INDYCAR)
By Aaron Bearden
To casual open wheel viewers, Felix Rosenqvist had all the trappings of an overnight sensation in Sunday’s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.
In his first NTT IndyCar Series race with Chip Ganassi Racing (CGR), the Swede executed a flawless start to rise to second in the first turn, overtook Will Power to lead early in the race and secured a respectable fourth-place result after losing positions on pit road.
Rosenqvist didn’t have a perfect drive. He suffered arm pain, struggled with fatigue and felt that he’d made mistakes. But his raw talent was put on display for all to see.
It was a rewarding moment – not just due to the impression Rosenqvist had made, but because of the long road he’d taken to get the opportunity in the first place.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Rosenqvist told Motorsports Beat. “I touched in with Chip (Ganassi, team owner) back in 2016. Finally three years later we managed to get a deal together.
“It’s awesome. I think I couldn’t be in a better place. It feels like the right progression for me in my career.”
The IndyCar paddock last saw Rosenqvist in Indy Lights, competing in 10 races back in 2016. Fresh off of a European 2015 Formula 3 championship and back-to-back victories in the Macau Grand Prix — races that included future F1 stars like Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Scuderia Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc — Rosenqvist immediately showed signs of promise on the tour, securing three wins in the abbreviated stint.
It was then that CGR first gave Rosenqvist a chance, fielding him in a one-day test in July at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
The organization was impressed with Rosenqvist’s performance. But by the end of the year he was gone, making the leap to the ABB FIA Formula E Championship with Mahindra Racing while also competing in other tours like Super Formula.
At the time he wasn’t sure he would ever come back to America for a full-time run.
“It was a bit open at that point, I have to say,” he admitted. “Because Formula E was something that threw everyone off guard a little bit, because it came quickly and grew rapidly.
“It was a fantastic place to be. For a professional driver, I would say outside of Formula 1, it’s the one championship that a lot of European drivers try to go to now.”
His time with Formula E saw Rosenqvist travel all across the world. His first few E-Prix were a challenge, but as the season progressed Rosenqvist evolved into a consistent contender for podiums. He even earned his first win at Berlin in June of 2017.
But the prospect of an IndyCar return still caught Rosenqvist’s eye. Just one month later he was back with CGR for a second test at Mid-Ohio. No testing opportunities came in 2018, but at the end of the year Rosenqvist was offered a chance to compete in CGR’s No. 10 Honda in 2019.
Leaving Formula E was a difficult decision. The tour was on the rise, and Rosenqvist was in a comfortable position as a race-winning contender.
But CGR provided the Swede a great opportunity. He was already familiar with the team. He knew Scott Dixon through the pair’s shared manager. Most importantly, the organization’s speed on track meant Rosenqvist knew he would have the equipment and personnel to contend for wins from the start.
“If there was any team for me, this would be this one” he said. “Because all the people I know from IndyCar are here. I’ve never really been in touch with another team.
“I feel like I’m really at home here. I have the support from all of the engineers, mechanics and everyone on the team. I know that they believe in my abilities, and that’s one of the most important things.”
Rosenqvist wasn’t going to see a better offer in IndyCar. So while he enjoyed Formula E, it was an opportunity he had to take.
“I was doing well in Formula E, and I had good results all the time,” he said. “But I wanted more challenge.
“I felt like I had unfinished business over here in America, and I had a chance with what I feel is the best team in the series. I couldn’t turn that down, and I feel like I made the right decision. ”
In making the leap to IndyCar with CGR, Rosenqvist immediately opened himself up to added external pressure. Being teammates with an all-time great in Dixon carries obvious benefits, but it also provides the intense challenge of being measured up next to him.
Numerous prospects and stars have struggled to compare to Dixon in recent years. Ed Jones finished nine positions worse than the New Zealander on average in 2018. Tony Kanaan didn’t fair much much better in 2017, dropped 6.3 spots per race to the veteran.
Many incoming drivers would fear that they could suffer the same fate. But Rosenqvist relished the opportunity to test his ability against one of the sport’s best stars.
“I always believe the philosophy that if you don’t measure yourself against the best, you’re only tricking yourself,” Rosenqvist said. “Everyone says that there’s big pressure being with Chip, Scott and everything, but it’s not more pressure than I already put on myself.”
Rosenqvist has every intention of giving Dixon and the rest of the field a challenge this season. In fact, he has only one goal for the year.
Win.
“For me it’s always important to win a race,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how you do it, but if you can manage to win a race it’s always going to change things a lot.
“It gives you better respect among your competitors and your team. After you win one race, it makes you feel like you can win more.”
While he’s fresh to IndyCar, under the right circumstances Rosenqvist could someday return to Formula E.
Rosenqvist had success in his time with the tour, but his final season turned out to be a bit of a letdown. Early success in a pair of wins and the points lead gave way to disappointment in the latter half of the year, with mid-season mechanical issues dropping Rosenqvist down the standings.
He ended the year sixth in championship, leaving a sour taste that he’d like to wash out with renewed success someday.
“I would say there’s still unfinished business there, and I would like to come back to it sometime in the future,” Rosenqvist admitted.
But if that never comes to fruition, the 27-year-old will be content.
“I don’t really take much time to think about (Formula E) at the moment,” Rosenqvist said. “I’m just focused on this opportunity in IndyCar. I see myself having a long-term career here.”
After three years of discussions, Rosenqvist has finally found a home in IndyCar. He has ambitions of competing on the tour for years to come.
Assuming he can provide more thrilling performances like he managed in his debut, there’s no reason to think the Swedish star won’t have the opportunity to do just that.
